NGT Case: Coastal Regulation Zone in Panjim (2016)

In this 2016 ruling, the Supreme Court of India considered the appeal of certain restaurant/bar owners who had illegally erected a structure within a Coastal Restriction Zone (CRZ) in Panjim. CRZs are areas notified under the Environment Protection Act of 1986 in which almost no new structures were allowed to be built after 19th February, 1991. In the ruling, the Court determined that the original verdict of the Nation Green Tribunal would stand, and that the structure in question was to be demolished on the grounds that it was built after the date in question. The ruling is significant, as it upholds the NGT’s authority on environment-related rulings and closes possible legal loopholes that might allow construction or other development detrimental to sensitive coastal ecosystems.

Click here to open PDF: coastal regulation zone violation Panjim SC Judgement